


Equilibrium

by GrandHighPriestess



Category: Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Hallucinations, Implied Relationships, M/M, No Sex, Worried Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6878065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrandHighPriestess/pseuds/GrandHighPriestess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a simple mission, really, if you don't count the... internal issues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equilibrium

"William!" Jem yelled. It was coming. Huge and black and complete with rows of teeth. Will turned just in time to duck and be missed by the serpent-like creature hurtling towards him. He runs, slamming on top of the creature, seraph blade in hand.

"Will! Do not be an idiot!" Jem called again, rushing after Will and the huge beast. Will slashed at the serpent's hide, doing little damage.

"Blasted creature." He mutters, barely loud enough for his parabatai to hear. Jem catches up, a slight ache forming in his wrists. Jem stops, sucking in a breath, before also launching himself atop the creature. Will slashes uselessly at the creature again before Jem reaches over and pries a scale up with the blade of his cane. Will sinks the seraph blade into the unprotected flesh and they jump off as the creature dissolves.

Jem tries to hide the wince of pain that landing evokes. Will still notices. He reaches over and grips Jem's shoulder, looking closer at his friend.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I am fine." Jem said resolutely.

"Why do I not believe you?" Will accused, handing Jem his cane. Jem was grateful to have it back as he was beginning to doubt his strength. He stood on his own as best as he could but still leaned on the jade dragon.

"I am not sure, although yours is a curious mind." Jem smirks at his pouting friend. "Do cheer up will, that should be the last one."

No sooner had the words escaped Jem's lips, did another (and possibly the largest) serpent come flying around the corner of the building they were at. "Oh, by the Angel." Jem wilted minutely as Will began yelling a string of unpleasant words. "Will drop it and help me with this thing."

They spring into action. Will leading the brunt of the attack and Jem following close behind. The creature, all 50 feet of it, rockets towards the boys. Will manages to clip the side of it as it speeds by. The creature wails, an unearthly sound that rattles the widows on the building next to them. Will yells back a slur of grunts and curses. Jem, however, beats him to the attack. Having pulled a seraph blade from his belt and naming it Nakir. Rushing forwards, Jem stabs the blade upwards into the softer underside of the serpent.

Surprisingly, it vanishes, lightly showering a burning field of ichor across the grass and Jem's back. The burn of the demon's blood was only in the back of his mind as Jem leaned over and was wracked with a fit of coughing. H could taste the blood in his mouth. Will had appeared suddenly and was on his knees next to Jem. Jem reached out and grabbed a fist full of Will's gear, an attempt at steadying himself.

"Jem? James we need to go, here I'll help you." With Will supporting and nearly carrying him, Jem began to walk to the carriage.

"Will, I can walk. There is no need to carry me." He muttered when Will had just about picked him off the ground. He managed until they reached the carriage and Jem caught up against the side as Will opened the door and fumbled with something. Jem coughed again and spit the blood in his mouth out on the ground. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Will, do hurry." When Will didn't answer, Jem opened his eyes to see Will has vanished. "William."

Jem takes a step, meaning to go after the disappeared boy, and his knees give out. Jem drops to the ground, groaning at the jarring impact. He sits there and waits for Will to help him up. He sits there waiting for what seems like an eternity before Will comes around the corner carrying Jem's cane.

"Jem!" Will sprints to Jem's side.

"By the Angel, William, what was that about?" Jem barely had any air left after that and it sent him into a coughing fit. Will made no further comment as he helped Jem off the ground and into the carriage. Jem watched will swing himself in and shut the door after yelling for Thomas to hurry. As uncomfortable as it seemed, Will had positioned himself at Jem's feet. Jem closed his eyes again, resting back against the wall of the Institute's carriage. He felt Will rest his head between Jem's knees.

Then Will whined, high in his throat.  
"William, what do you want?"  
"Nothing, I only want you to be alright."  
"Please get off the floor. That has to be uncomfortable." Not to mention that the ride would take them at least a half-hour. With a bit of shuffling, Jem felt will settle next to him on the bench. A moment later, Will's head rested on Jem's shoulder and his hand snuck down Jem's arm to take his hand.

"Will?" Jem muttered as he felt Will's lips on his neck.  
"Yes?"  
"What are you doing?"  
"Helping." came his answer after another kiss. Jem peered down at the blue eyes of his parabatai. He then closed his eyes and tried to drift asleep.

***

He awoke a small while later, Will still leaning protectively on him. Jem looked across the small carriage to see what he thought was one of the demons that had haunted him back in Shanghai. His body froze over, as if he had swum in the Thames during winter. He jumped in his seat, upsetting a dozed-off Will.

"James! What is it?" Will looked worriedly at him, Jem stared between his friend and the horrifying creature grinning maniacally at him. Will forcibly turned Jem's head and forced eye contact.

"Will, it's right there. Can you not see it?" Jem's hands were now tightly clenched in Will's gear. He stared through the immense pain in his body.

"Jem, watch only me. It is a hallucination. It is NOT real." Will's grip on Jem's head tightened, bringing their foreheads together. Will's words didn't sit well with him. Jem shook and cried out. In madness? In pain? Jem shook free of Will's hold and buried his face into Will's shoulder. He shuddered fiercely and tried not to think of the menacing creature in the carriage.

"I have you Jem. It won't get you. I will protect you." a tear slid down Jem's cheek.

***

Whatever Jem was seeing, it must have been terrible. Will held the shivering, crying, hallucinating boy in his arms and hugged as tight as he could. Will could only hope that they got back before Jem felt the need to retaliate. They rode the final 10 minutes like this, Jem occasionally whispering scared and frantic pleas and Will responding with kind words and reassuring promises of protection. The carriage pulled up at the Institute and Thomas helped Will carry Jem to his room. With Jem essentially unconscious, Will opened the box of yin fen. He took a bit between his forefinger and thumb and shoved them into Jem's mouth. He didn't relax until Jem had sucked all of the powder off of his fingers..

Jem weakly called Will's name and Will positioned himself around where Jem lay on the bed. Once Will settled Jem seemed to have fallen asleep. Will remained awake, counting the sickly boy's every breath.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. If you want to know about my work updates without having to go through email or logging on or searching them up on AO3, follow my twitter @GrandHighPriest, I will tweet links right as I post and may even set out polls for certain series'. I will also respond to comments and questions there as well. I hope to hear from you. ~ GHP


End file.
